Twelve Years Past
by Daughter of Cid
Summary: Rikku does something stupid, the Fayth give her a choice, & she learns that sometimes life is fair after all. Technically set after Final Fantasy X-2, but set during Final Fantasy X story-wise. Heavy with the Aurikku; rating likely to go no higher than T.
1. Chapter 1

Rikku grumbled as she walked past the large mansion that had once belonged to that no-good Maester Seymour (and then, for a brief time, Leblanc). She had no particular problem with the mansion itself (it didn't choose its residents), but she was tired of seeing it-- there were only so many footpaths in Guadosalam and they all seemed to bring her back to its doors. She glanced towards the Farplane and was disappointed to see the young Al Bhed man still guarding the entrance.

"Doesn't he ever have to pee?"

***

People would later say that they heard the celebration all the way in Kilika, the day the entire town of Besaid was invited to the High Summoner's wedding. And the dockworkers in Luca had an all-new respect for the quiet folk of Besaid as they marvelled at the sheer amount of alcohol the tiny town had ordered for the reception. (They were unaware that most of the procured liquor hadn't made it to the reception at all. Three blitzball teams had to be escorted from the temple grounds before the wedding ceremony had even started.)

Drunken blitzballers aside, the island of Besaid had never hosted such a lovely wedding as when Yuna, the bringer of the Eternal Calm, wed Tidus, the legendary man from Zanarkand.

Spira had been on the brink of destruction once again when Yuna, Rikku, and Paine managed to save it-- with a little help from their friends. No one was particularly surprised by this, for Yuna had fought Sin itself and emerged victorious. The surprise came afterwards, when the man from the sea once again emerged in Besaid.

***

Rikku felt an odd sense of deja vu as she dangled her legs off the edge of the ledge near the Farplane's entrance. Deja vu was something she was far too familiar with; there was not a place in Spira that did not hold a memory or two for her.

Memories, well-- Rikku had plenty of 'em and it was getting harder to keep them inside.

***

Rikku hadn't understood why Yuna had decided to get married in the Besaid temple-- the temple that had started her fateful pilgrimage. She thought there were better places on the island-- places 'that weren't so creepy', she had put it bluntly.

"It's where we first met. And-- and I'd like my father to see my wedding."

So Rikku stood by the large statue of High Summoner Braska, trying her best not to focus on the other statues. The silent witnesses to this ceremony, the Fayth made her uncomfortable.

Sure, she was beyond thrilled that Tidus had returned. The Fayth deemed Yuna worthy of a reward, though no one mentioned it in those words-- at least not in public. It was spoken in quiet whispers, far from the young couple's ears.

The Farplane contained the souls of millions of Spirans, but no one had ever been given leave before. You were either sent to the Farplane, only to be called back in pyreflies and memories, or you were unsent and wandered the world. The lucky ones had enough of a connection to Spira that they were able to carry on without change, the unlucky ones became fiends-- the scourge of Spira.

Tidus was an anomaly.

And, as grateful and happy as Rikku was to see her friends reunited, there was a thought that refused to go away. A nagging thought that haunted her at night, a piercing thought that made her happiness bittersweet. She cursed herself for being selfish, for being so petty.

As Yuna read her vows, that nagging thought turned into a question.

What made _her_ so special?

Yuna, daughter of High Summoner Braska, the High Summoner who brought the Eternal Calm. She had saved the world-- twice.

Rikku, daughter of Cid, Guardian of High Summoner Yuna. She had helped save the world-- twice.

She never hated her cousin. Yuna was this shining light in the darkness, she made the lives of everyone she touched just a little bit better. They shared blood and, more than that, they shared a bond of friendship that was unbreakable.

But, Rikku was ashamed to admit, she resented Yuna sometimes. Resented the fact that Yuna's life was so perfect, that Yuna's greatest wish had been made true, made flesh.

It wasn't fair.

***

"Yunie!" Rikku hugged Yuna tight. "Congratulations!"

"Um, Ri-" Yuna struggled for air.

"Oh!" Rikku exclaimed, letting Yuna go. "Too much? Oh, Tidus! Congratulations!"

If Tidus had not been a blitzball player, used to being short on air, he would have been breathless just like his wife. "Thanks, Rikku!"

"Have lots of sex, okay?" Rikku whispered in his ear before letting go. She laughed as he started to blush, his face turning as red as Auron's coat.

... Her smile faded a little, but the young couple didn't notice.

***

"At last!" Rikku thought silently as she watched the Al Bhed guard walk down the path from the Farplane. She watched him until he disappeared into one of the houses. She wasn't sure how long he would be gone, but she just needed a second to escape into the entrance unseen.

While access to the Farplane was no longer forbidden, Rikku wanted her visit to be private.

***

She stopped halfway up the steps and smiled at the memory.

Yuna had come to the Farplane to contemplate the idea of marriage. Everyone had followed her in, except for Rikku and Auron. They sat in silence for the first ten minutes or so, the weight of the place having an effect on them both. Rikku finally broke the silence.

"You met my aunt, right? Lord Braska's wife?" Auron knew she was Al Bhed and she figured that the only reason he hadn't raised a stink back at the Moonflow about it was because he knew who she really was.

"Yes," Auron replied. When Rikku turned around to look at him, it was clear that she was expecting more. "It was shortly after she and Braska were married. I was not yet his guardian, but merely a friend. Yuna's mother was-- she was very beautiful."

"I know. I came here once, to the Farplane, just to see her. I know what I said, I like to keep my memories inside and all that but I don't have any memories of her." Rikku shook her head. "Father destroyed all his spheres."

"You remind me of her."

Her face lit up. "I do?"

"You have her personality. She was bubbly and energetic. Yuna takes after Braska, with her calm manner and positive attitude but you-- you have her spirit."

***

If Braska had known the truth, if he had known the secret to defeating Sin, Rikku wondered if the Fayth would have given him back his wife.

***

Rikku hugged herself as she walked across the platform. If she had not been so desperate, she might have turned back but Rikku persevered. She wanted to see his face. She knew it was just pyreflies messing with her head, but it was better than nothing.

She stood at the edge, forcing herself not to look towards the bottom. Focusing on the emptiness in front of her, she thought of him.

On the Moonflow shore, the way he looked into her eyes -- without disgust or contempt...

In the Thunder Plains agency, the way his coat smelled as she wrapped herself in it... (It was his own fault for leaving it on the floor of his room. His locked room. She had replaced it before he woke up the next morning. No harm done.)

On the airship, the way he held her while she mourned for Home, the way his embrace seemed to give her strength. He had held her until the tears stopped coming.

She gasped as he started to appear in the mist. He was exactly as she remembered him. The scar, the coat, the jug. She couldn't see his face clearly, but she smiled -- that was nothing new.

"You're probably surprised to see me here, I bet! Ms. I Keep My Memories Inside Me & all. And it's not like with my aunt-- I have a ton of memories about you." Rikku looked away from his image, her hands fiddling with her belt. "I think that's the problem. I have too many memories of you. I don't think you ever noticed, but I watched you a lot."

"IthinkIminlovewithyou."

Rikku looked up, breathless from the confession. She knew better than to expect a reaction but she was disappointed nonetheless. Auron just stood-- er, floated there, unchanged.

"If I wanted a reaction, I probably should have told you back then, huh?" She cleared her throat & did her best Auron impression. "I am flattered, Rikku, but I am a monk and have sworn off underage booty like yours."

"I'm sure 'booty' isn't a part of your vocabulary but that's probably how the conversation would have gone. You were too old, I was too young, we must defeat Sin, blah blah blah. I could have died in battle right beside you, but you wouldn't have let me share your bed."

"And dying is relative, yeah? Tidus told us the story, about how you really died back then. When Sir Jecht became Sin--" She paused, thinking of Tidus. He and Yuna were probably still on their way to Luca; Brother had offered to take them straight there on the Celsius but they'd declined. "If I had told him I was coming here, he probably would have sent a greeting. He misses you guys, but -- he's really happy with Yuna, and I'm sure you guys are happy for him."

"I'm sorry you're alone. It isn't fair. You sacrificed everything for a lie." She felt the tears spill out and she wiped her cheeks furiously with her hands. "I wish I could have loved you before it was too late."

Rikku stood there, not sure what else to say. She wouldn't be coming back here again, she could easily become addicted to this. He wasn't real but he was there. It was better than nothing.

"I guess I should go," she finally said. "Brother is probably wondering where I am. I miss you, Auron. All the time. Every day."

She expected him to fade as she turned away, but the reality was like a punch in the gut. It was that moment inside Sin all over again.

When asked later, she was never able to explain exactly why she had done it but guessed it was just a reflex. As Auron faded away into pyreflies, she reached for him. If she held tight, maybe she could hold him together.

As she felt herself falling off the platform, she realised that it was a stupid, stupid idea.


	2. Chapter 2

Rikku felt like she was drowning. She clawed for solid ground but her fingers found nothing.

"Calm down." The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place it. "Calm down, Rikku."

Hearing her name, she finally stilled. "Who are you? Where are you?!"

The image of a small boy came to life in front of her. "I am of the Fayth."

"_Ur cred_," she gasped, covering her mouth with a hand to keep from screaming. If this kid, this tiny lil' kid was a Fayth, then she-- she had to be--

The boy giggled. "You are not dead, Rikku, daughter of Cid."

"That's, ah, a relief." Rikku wasn't sure if she was having a bad dream or if the Fayth were just that sadistic but she decided to go along with it. "Oh-kay, um, Mr. Fayth... if I'm not dead, what's with the...?" She gestured madly about her.

"You have an opportunity, if you are willing to make the choice." The boy paused, as if waiting for an interruption, then continued. "You are currently falling off the Farplane platform. You will die. We cannot save you."

Rikku felt oddly calm about the whole situation. "I'm waiting for the part about a choice."

The boy giggled again and Rikku was beginning to find the sound extremely annoying. "I was just getting to that. As I was saying, we cannot save you. However, you are right. The way we have treated you is not fair. You will die today; you are no longer a part of this world. However, you can choose to die and live among the souls of the Farplane or you can choose to live -- in another world, another time."

"I can-- what?"

"You must make your choice quickly, your time is running out."

Rikku was scared. She was too young to die. Stupid Farplane, stupid platform, stupid Auron...

"Auron--"

The Fayth smiled. "You've made your choice."

Rikku nodded, then gasped as the boy transformed. She had never been this close to Bahamut before. The aeon knelt down and motioned for her to climb onto his back. Grabbing hold of the giant wheel, Rikku closed her eyes as the aeon seemed to fly higher and higher.

***

Rikku woke up and immediately decided that she was better off asleep.

She had woken up in strange places before, thanks to a prankster brother who piloted an airship, but she knew exactly where she was.

She was in Bevelle, in the temple of Bevelle, in the Chamber of the Fayth.

Sitting upright, she saw the statue in the middle of the floor. Bahamut.

Rikku rubbed her temples. She had no idea what was going on. Pinching herself hard, she hissed at the pain. She certainly didn't feel dead. She wondered if the Fayth were pissed at her for being ungrateful about Tidus; maybe this was an epic prank.

She looked at the exit. It had taken both Kimahri and Tidus to open the chamber door after Yuna's almost-wedding and they were doing it from the outside. And, with no more summoners on pilgrimages, she could not expect any random visitors. She had to figure a way out of here.

Rikku emptied the contents of her belt onto the floor. She had a few grenades ('just in case') but they wouldn't do the amount of damage she needed. A cluster bomb? She thought maybe that might do it. She started to dig through the pile of spheres. "Teleport, teleport, key sphere, key-"

The final ingredient, a #2 key sphere, slipped from her fingers and rolled away. She crawled after it. Catching it on top of the Fayth, she did a little cheer. Getting back on her feet, she paused. She had a funny feeling that something was wrong, besides being stuck in a temple in New Yevon's territory. (It was nothing against Baralai, she just didn't trust the priests farther than Yuna could throw them.) She remembered this place, not from Yuna's pilgrimage but-- "Shitshitshitshit_cred_. Why didn't I realise it before? Oh, no way, this is not happening. I'm dreaming."

Rikku pinched herself. She pinched herself again.

"Okay, not dead. Also, not dreaming."

She stumbled back towards the pile of supplies. "I have got to get out of here!"

***

Rikku didn't believe in Yevon. She knew its secrets, knew it was a bunch of lies spun to keep the people of Spira faithful. She still thought that setting off a big bomb in the temple was wrong. This was a sacred space, whether you believed or not. But she knew that she wouldn't be getting out of here without blowing the door. She carefully examined the mixture in her hand; it was her ticket out of here.

Her resolve strengthened, she stood up.

And she promptly fell back on her ass as she heard the large feathers parting. She wouldn't have to blow her way out of here after all. Tearing the mixture apart, she stuffed everything back into her belt.

Rikku watched the tall man as he entered the chamber. She clamped her hand over her mouth so he wouldn't hear her gasp. Every fibre of her body was screaming and her brain was in overdrive.

Braska. Uncle Braska. High Summoner Braska. Yuna's dead father.

Yuna's dead father was alive. He was alive, the chamber of the fayth was missing that huge gaping hole. Rikku wasn't stupid.

She knew she was crazy instead.


	3. Chapter 3

Rikku was certain she had set a new personal record. Rikku, who was always hyper, always energetic-- the discomfort she now felt in her legs was a new sensation. She hadn't moved them in what felt like hours. She wanted to remain absolutely silent while Braska (Uncle-freakin'-Braska) did his summoner thing and then she would just sneak out quietly behind him. She had no idea about what she was going to do afterwards but she knew that getting out of the temple was her first priority.

She had never seen Yuna like this when she was on her pilgrimage, but she knew what Yunie had to go through to obtain each aeon: the praying, the waiting, all the while hoping that the Fayth would answer her plea. For the entire time Rikku had been silently watching him, Braska hadn't moved; he just knelt there in quiet reverence. Yunie had once joked that if the pilgrimage didn't kill her, the waiting would. They all laughed, though everyone knew it wasn't funny. The pilgrimage would kill her.

Rikku was starting to doze off when movement in the room startled her awake. It was that boy, the boy who had given her no choice at all and sent her 12 years into the past. She could just strangle him.

The boy turned in her direction, a bemused look on his face. She shook her head, disavowing the thought. The boy turned back to Braska, who hadn't noticed the short exchange. Rikku relaxed a bit. Braska would get his aeon and be on his merry way shortly.

"Rikku."

She recognised the voice-- but why was he saying _her_ name? She raised her eyes slowly. "Um, yeah?" When she finally looked at Braska, she was surprised. She had once seen that look on Yuna's face; she wasn't quite sure what she had done to put it on his. (Yuna had been so happy to see her on the Moonflow. It made her betrayal all the more heartbreaking.)

Braska motioned towards the boy. "I am honoured to meet you. The Fayth says that you are to be my guide. You will show me how to defeat Sin. Praise be to Yevon!"

Rikku glared at the boy, but he just nodded. "I am also honoured, Lord Braska." She wasn't sure what the Fayth had in mind for her, but this was just-- guarding another Summoner? She certainly didn't sign up for that. (But she wasn't terribly keen on the idea of being dead either...)

Braska turned his attention back to the boy and she was unprepared for what happened next. The boy flew, his ghostly form hitting Braska square in the chest. He staggered backwards, but waved Rikku off as she moved to help him. "I am fine. This is a part of my duty."

***

After Braska recovered his strength, he motioned to the door. "Let us be on our way. My guardians await outside."

"Your guar-" Rikku felt her stomach drop. Braska's guardians. Jecht and Auron. 'Auron...,' she silently realised, 'so that's what this was all about.' It took more inner strength than Rikku knew she possessed but she kept a grip on her composure. "Lord Braska, before we leave, I must show you something." She looked him straight in the eyes. He gasped a little.

"You are Al Bhed?" His question seemed rhetorical, but she wanted things to be clear.

"I am Al Bhed," she nodded. "Will this be a problem for you?"

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I know you must be wary of people of Yevon, but you will be safe with me. My wife is-- was Al Bhed, so please take ease." As he removed his hand, he went on. "The Fayth have brought us together. We may not know why, but I believe they have a plan."

Rikku suppressed a laugh. 'I'm sure they do,' she thought to herself.

Braska turned towards the chamber's entrance but then stopped, turning back around to face Rikku. "You have a very pretty name, young Rikku. My wife's niece is named Rikku as well. It's a pretty name for such pretty girls."

Rikku nodded. "That's why it's a fairly common name for us Al Bhed." (Rikku hated how lying made her feel, but she knew it would be hard to explain to her uncle that she was probably the only Rikku in several generations. He may be willing to believe that she was a gift from the Fayth, but she doubted that he would be able to accept that she was a gift from _the future_.)

He smiled. "I see. Well, shall we be going?"

***

She followed Braska out of the chamber, hiding behind his robe. Rikku normally wasn't a shy person, but this situation was not normal either. She had just met her long-dead uncle, was about to meet the man who would become Sin, and Auron-- she had seen the spheres from Braska's pilgrimage, she knew how young Auron was...

"Lord Braska, have you received the aeon?"

"I have, Auron," Braska nodded. He then stepped to the side, presenting Rikku to his guardians. "The Fayth have also blessed us with a guide."

"They gave you a girl? Man, I want to be a summer-ner too!"

"You just keep your dirty thoughts to yourself, mister!" Rikku was huffy. "And-- I have a name."

"Jecht, Auron, this is Rikku. And, Rikku, they are my guardians--"

"Jecht. Auron. Got it," she interrupted.

"Hey, Braska! Are you going to get a girl at every stop? Because I could definitely get used to this!" Jecht leered at Rikku, and she suddenly realised why Tidus had once hated his dad so much. Jecht-- this Jecht-- he was a creep.

Rikku tugged at her clothes, thankful that she hadn't changed before visiting Guadosalam. While this outfit, the one she wore to Yuna's wedding, was pretty revealing for Spira's taste, it was practically a nun's habit compared to her usual outfits. She had saved the world in a pair of tiny shorts the first time & a glorified bikini the second; her top was small but covered her chest to the point of modesty and, while her skirt was short, the leggings underneath went to above her knees.

'If I ever get back,' Rikku resolved silently, 'I'm buying new clothes.'

A cold chill up her spine broke Rikku's concentration. She fiddled with her clothes some more, not daring to look up. She could feel him staring at her; while on Yuna's pilgrimage, she had grown accustomed to his stares. He cleared his throat & Rikku looked up despite herself. She did her best to swallow a gasp as she realised that he had not one eye but two. 'Of course,' she thought, 'their journey is only beginning. Auron has yet to meet Lady Yunalesca.'

"Lord Braska," Auron spoke, while still looking at Rikku. "Are you sure this is wise? This girl-- she's very young. And she is an Al--" He stilled. "Forgive me, my Lord, but--"

Braska only smiled. "She is Al Bhed and she does seem rather young--"

"I'm 17," she interjected.

"But Yevon itself has decided this. The Fayth whispered her name to me; the Aeon said that we share a destiny, this girl and I. So it is decided."

Auron scoffed, but gave Braska a respectful nod. "As you wish, my Lord."


	4. Chapter 4

"You're a summoner, Lord Braska! Why do they treat you this way?" Rikku was livid. As Braska and his guardians made their way through the halls of the Bevelle temple, she had heard the monks make nasty comments about Braska as they passed by. She was taken aback by their cruelty; one guy even called Yunie a half-breed. It made her sick.

"No one expects us to defeat Sin," Braska explained as they left the temple. "I am allowed to go on a pilgrimage, with guardians of my choosing, because Yevon honours those who have the courage to do so. I do not, however, have the support of many in Yevon. The temples will receive us, but the people may not be as welcoming."

"They are fools, my Lord," Auron declared. Rikku noticed that his face was flush; she hadn't been the only one upset for Braska's sake after all. "When you defeat Sin, I will make them suffer for their transgressions."

"That will not be necessary, Auron. Fools say foolish things and, when I become High Summoner, I believe there will not be anything left to prove. There is no reason for you to dirty your hands with such matters, my friend."

"I have no idea what's going on here," Jecht interrupted. "But is there somewhere I could get a bite to eat? I'm starving."

***

Watching Jecht eat, Rikku knew for certain that he and Tidus were related. He wasn't even using the utensils, picking the food up with his bare hands and shoving it in his mouth. From the look on Auron's face, she could tell that he was clearly disgusted by the spectacle.

Rikku quietly sipped her water and listened to Braska talk.

"After Jecht is finished, we will have to find all of you lodging for the night. Am I right to assume, Auron, that you will not be returning to the temple?"

"I have already reserved a room at the inn," Auron replied. He sighed and continued, "The drun-- Jecht may stay with me."

Auron and Braska looked at Rikku and then back at each other.

"Oh, hey, it's fine," Rikku blushed. Searching through her belt pockets, she found her stash of emergency gil & put it on the table. "I always have some money stashed away somewhere. I'll get myself a room too."

***

Rikku stretched out on the bed, grateful to finally be able to rest.

Braska had invited her and Jecht to his house after their meal; he wanted to introduce them to his daughter, Yuna. Rikku had declined the offer, explaining that she was very tired and did not want to take up any more of Braska's time that night. The three men had escorted her to the inn on the outskirts of Bevelle and, after making sure she would be alright, went back into the city.

She wondered what they were all doing. Was Braska letting Yuna stay up late? Was Jecht trying to impress her with blitzball moves? Was Auron being friendly? These would be Yunie's last memories of the men for the next decade or so, Rikku hoped they would be good ones.

***

Rikku fell asleep easily and dreamed of old friends and pyreflies. When she woke herself up crying, she realised it was still dark outside.

When Auron knocked on her door a few hours later to wake her up, she was waiting.

***

Rikku didn't look back as she and the men walked out of the city. If she had, she might have seen a little girl, with one green eye & one blue, waving wildly at her father and his friends.

***

"You okay?" Jecht asked, turning his sphere towards her. "You disappointed by our send-off too?"

Rikku shook her head. "Nah, I'm not a big fan of long goodbyes."

"Well, like I told Braska, they better give him a parade when this is all over with."

She glanced at Braska and he gave her a sad smile. He hadn't told Jecht how his journey would end, for probably the same reason Yuna kept it from Tidus-- to keep the pall of death from overwhelming them all on the pilgrimage. "I'm sure Bevelle will celebrate, no doubt about it," she said, playing her role in the deception well.

"We should go," Braska announced. "Day will break soon."

***

After leaving Bevelle, the group made their way into the Macalania Woods. Rikku stayed behind Braska, letting Auron lead them through the maze of paths. They had engaged in a few battles with small fry; a pack of iguion had been good practice for Jecht, the sword Auron had lent him had taken some getting used to.

Auron and Jecht were up ahead, arguing about something (again), when she heard the branches along the path start to break. Whatever was approaching sounded big.

"Guys, we've got trouble!" Rikku yelled as she thrust herself in front of Braska. "Please stay back, Lord Braska."

"What's going on?" Jecht looked around. "I don't see nothin'."

Auron stiffened and nodded at Rikku, indicating he heard the fiend as well. "You will."

***

Rikku felt every muscle in her body scream out with anticipation, excitement-- the pure adrenaline rush of being in battle taking over. As Jecht took the first swing at the Chimera, she pulled the Garment Grid out of a belt pocket & ran a trembling finger over the spheres it held. She hadn't used it since the day Tidus had returned.

Thief. Alchemist. Black Mage. (She knew the Samurai sphere was still in her pocket. Looking up, she saw Auron strike the beast with all the finesse she knew he possessed. That sphere-- that sphere would never be used in his presence. Too many questions that Rikku wouldn't know how to answer)

It was her turn.

Rikku was a creature of habit &, as she felt the transformation take hold, her fingers flexed instinctively. Her _vydran_ had always said she was born to be a thief; she was stealing hearts from the moment she was born.

She moved quickly, before the Chimera even registered her presence. She thrust her hand inside & felt the pyreflies tickle her skin. Feeling the small ball with her fingertips, she grasped it and yanked with all her might. The Chimera howled as she pulled the small marble out.

Rikku rushed back to her position and, without pausing, hurled her new prize back at the creature. The lightning was so bright that she covered her eyes and, when she peeked through her fingers, she saw the pyreflies fading away.

"Go me," she exclaimed, doing a little victory dance. "Did you guys see that?"

Rikku froze in mid-dance as she spun around. Auron and Jecht were staring at her like she had just grown a second head. She was confused, then she followed Jecht's eyes as they made their way down her body.

She regretted not having Shinra modify the Thief dressphere when she had had the chance. For the first time ever, Rikku felt a little underdressed.


	5. Chapter 5

Rikku fiddled with the ribbons on her left arm. She had just spent the last few minutes trying to explain how garment grids worked, but she was not sure how much of her explanation had actually sunk in. Braska had been impressed by its ability to empower her with such a variety of abilities, but the phrase 'Al Bhed technology' had not endeared her to Auron much more than the gratuitous display of flesh. (Jecht, on the other hand, was more than pleased by the wardrobe change, if the lewd remarks were any indication.)

"So that, uh, _thing_ helps you fight?" Jecht asked, finally drawing his attention upwards.

"Yep! This dressphere makes me super fast on my feet. I can surprise the enemy and steal its gil before you even unsheath your sword." Rikku pulled some of the other spheres out of her pocket. "There's a whole bunch of different options. I can steal, slash, work magic, blow stuff up. Whatever you want, I'm your girl!"

"The advancements the Al Bhed are making..." Braska smiled. "Your Home must be beautiful by now."

***

The party reached the outskirts of Lake Macalania shortly before dusk. Rikku knew that the Travel Agency was only a short distance away, but Jecht and Braska, both unaccustomed to the frequency of battle, could journey no further. It was decided that they would set up camp in the woods and head for the temple the next morning.

While Jecht & Braska went into the dense forest next to their camp to relieve themselves and wash the evidence of hard-fought battles off their skin, Auron and Rikku were left to set up. Auron cut branches off nearby trees to build a fire while Rikku erected the tents. Having finished the last one, Rikku bounced over to the now fully ablaze campfire and rubbed her cold hands over it eagerly.

"There's something I've been wanting to ask you, Rikku."

There was something about Auron's voice that sounded strange, but she shrugged it off as nothing. "I'm an open book," she laughed, trying to keep the mood light. "What'cha wanna know?"

"Who are you?" Auron's distrust was now evident in his tone. "Yevon does not hand out guides to its summoners. So who are you? An Al Bhed spy? Did Cid send you?"

"What? Nobody sent me. Well, I mean, the fayth kinda did."

"Right. You appeared to Lord Braska in the chamber of the fayth because the fayth arranged it. Be honest with me: how did an Al Bhed heathen manage to slip into the most sacred place in Bevelle? That has really been bothering me."

"I don't know how I got there. Really! I just woke up and I was there." Rikku dejectedly looked down and scuffed her boots on the ground. She missed the old Auron. He was disillusioned and dead, but he had never doubted her. Not even once. She felt like she could just break down and cry.

"Don't waste your tears on me, Rikku." Auron glared at her. "Jecht and Braska might be buying into this whole innocent act, but I've seen what your kind is capable of doing. Braska believes in you because you remind him of his late wife. He wants to believe that Yevon has a place for the Al Bhed. You're taking advantage of a grieving man's weakness. It's pathetic."

"I'm not lying!" Rikku bit her lip hard. She was not going to let him see her cry. "I really don't know why I'm here or what I'm supposed to do, but-- but all I want right now is to be Braska's guardian."

"I believe she is an unsent, Auron," Braska calmly interjected. The two had been so wrapped up in their argument that they hadn't heard Braska and Jecht return. "As I told you before, the fayth introduced her to me. I have had questions about her identity as well and I've come to this conclusion: Rikku was likely a guardian to a summoner who fell before Zanarkand and that failure has kept her on Spira."

"But she's Al Bhed!"

"Yes. And while my brother-in-law may be many things, he is not a coward. If he wished to avenge his sister's death, he would come at me himself. He would not send a child."

"She's no child! You've seen her fight. She carries herself well in battle."

"That is why I believe she was a guardian in her former life. She has put my safety before her own in every battle. That is what a guardian is trained to do, is it not, Auron?"

As Braska and Auron continued their conversation on the other side of the campfire, Jecht tapped Rikku on the shoulder. "What's an unsent?"

"A dead person. Braska thinks I'm a dead person."

Jecht poked her arm a few times. "You feel pretty alive to me."

"That's the idea. An unsent person is dead but carries on living until they either become a fiend or are sent by a summoner. _Vun Oajuh'c cyga!_" Rikku shouted, catching the attention of the other men. "I am not an unsent!"

"But you were a guardian, yes?" Braska asked.

Rikku nodded, suddenly realising that she was in a lose-lose situation. Braska thought she was unsent, Auron thought she was a spy sent by her father, and Jecht-- well, there was a reason why she and Tidus always got along so well. Men from Zanarkand didn't care if she was Al Bhed or dead, she was just Rikku, a good girl. "My summoner, she-- she didn't call the Final Aeon."

"As I thought." Braska looked at her with pity. "The fayth said you would journey with me to fulfill your destiny. I believe you will help me become High Summoner and finally be able to accept your fate."

'I'm not dead. I can't be dead.' Those words went unspoken as Rikku slouched, defeated.

***

After eating dinner in silence, Rikku excused herself from the campfire and went further into the woods.

An hour later, Auron found her sitting by a spring.

Rikku didn't even turn around as he approached, acknowledging his presence with a small nod. "If you've come to yell at me some more, could you just not?"

He shook his jug at her, the silence indicating it was empty. "I simply came to refill this."

"You drink this stuff?" Rikku scratched her head. "Isn't it used to make spheres?"

"That is one use for it, yes, but it is said that Macalanian spring water has magical properties. It can cure the sick, relieve the weary, raise the de-"

Rikku dropped her head onto her knees. "There's that word again. Dead. Do you-- do you think I'm dead too?"

Auron knelt down on the ground and dipped his jug into the water. He waited until it was full before he spoke. "I don't know."

"Oh."

"I believe you are hiding something from Lord Braska, from us, and that makes you dangerous. What your secret is, I don't know," Auron sighed. "I have nothing against you or the Al Bhed but my duty is to protect my summoner, even if it is from himself."

"I wouldn't-- I would never hurt Braska!"

"I would like to believe that," Auron said as he stood up. "Our journey will be long. You shall have the opportunity to prove yourself."


	6. Chapter 6

"Rikku, before we depart for the temple," Braska's voice trailed off. He was not sure how to broach the subject. "Please take no offence but--"

"Lord Braska would like you to change before we leave." Auron gestured at her outfit. "That is not appropriate for a temple, much less for a summoner's guardian. It makes you look like a--"

"Auron," Braska cut him off.

Rikku flailed her arms. "Oh, totally-- I mean, I understand. Give me a minute!" She pulled her Garment Grid out and thrust it at Jecht. "Hold that for a minute, 'kay?" Plopping to the ground, she pulled out the rest of her dresspheres. She, Yuna, & Paine had split the Gullwings' spheres when they went their separate ways so her selection was not as good as it once was. Grabbing her Grid back, she emptied it and went to work putting all six of her dresspheres back in place. She hesitated as she popped the Samurai and Dark Knight dresspheres in, again hoping she would never have to use either one of them. "Okey-dokey, all done!"

Jecht helped to her feet. "You gonna get naked again?"

"You're such a pervert! It's not like that." Rikku scrunched her nose. "I think it's pretty."

"Could you just get on with it? We need to leave soon." Auron had no time for his fellow guardians' petty arguments.

Rikku nodded, stepping back. Sticking her weapons in the ground, she felt the transformation take hold. The long boots, the robes, the hat-- she felt them all materialise. Pulling Yunie's old rod out of the ground, she was grateful to have a connection to her cousin. "Is this better?"

Jecht snickered and, looking at the other two men, she could tell they were both amused by something as well. "What? Is there something wrong with this? Do I need to change again?"

"That'll do fine, Rikku." Braska chuckled.

"Oh, come on! What's so funny?" She pouted.

"'_I'm gonna put you in a cast, and I don't mean the broken bone kind'_-- that's quite a battle cry you have." Auron rolled his eyes, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

Rikku shrugged. "Paine got all the good lines. Oh, um, Paine was a warrior I used to--" Fight with? Live with? Hang out with? Save the world with?

Braska, realising that Rikku's mind was wandering off into her past, spoke up. "If you are ready now, we should leave."

***

Auron and Braska watched as Rikku and Jecht ran off after a Snow Wolf. They were making quick work of the fiends on the lake trail, with her magic and his quick sword.

"Those two, they're like children."

"Don't be so hard on them, Auron. I know you distrust them both, but I have faith in Yevon's plan for us. Our journey to Zanarkand would have been difficult, my friend, even with your considerable strength and skill. A man from Zanarkand appears and we have another swordsman to accompany us. I receive the great aeon Bahamut and a young woman from the otherworld appears. Her abilities are incredible. I feel extraordinarily blessed to have such guardians."

"Yes, my Lord." Auron knew there would be no dissuading Braska from his optimism. Catching the stench of burnt flan in the air, he looked up and saw that his fellow guardians were now in battle with a pair of Ice Flan. Rikku was yelling at Jecht, trying to get him to stop attacking them.

"You're worried because she is an Al Bhed."

His attention now back with Braska, Auron nodded. "Even if she is, as you said, an unsent, it does not make sense. An Al Bhed as a guardian?"

"Perhaps not in this time, but Rikku has yet to reveal the full details of her life to us. She may have been wandering for quite a while."

***

Rikku pushed the brim of her hat up, relieved that it had helped conceal her eyes from the monk at the entrance. She wasn't sure if Auron would have rushed to her defence again. Sitting on the stairs, she watched Braska and Auron greet the people as they approached the summoner.

"Braska's pretty popular." Jecht sat down beside her. "Back in my world, I was probably even more popular than him! Everyone wanted my autograph. I was the star player for the Zanarkand Abes!"

She shushed him. "Don't say that around here, okay? These people, to them Zanarkand's a holy place. No one plays blitzball there anymore."

Jecht got quiet and Rikku regretted her familiar choice of words. "You'll get back to your Zanarkand, Jecht. Things'll work out."

They sat together in silence until Braska was ready to approach the Cloister.

***

The Cloister of Trials was as annoying as she remembered. She tried to assist the others as best she could, suggesting that maybe _that_ Glyph sphere went in _that_ spot or _that_ pedestal should be moved _that_ way, but she stayed back and let Braska lead the group. This was his pilgrimage, his responsibility.

Having already bested the Bevelle Cloister, Braska was able to figure out the pattern out quicker than Rikku had expected. As the group approached the antechamber, she cursed herself for not using that time to prepare. As they stepped into the bright room, her heart lurched.

This was where they had killed a Maester of Yevon.

She put on a happy face for Braska, wishing him luck, and watched as he disappeared into the fayth chamber. Each of his guardians moved towards a different part of the large room, an uneasy silence in the air. Jecht was still not talking very much and Auron was just... being Auron.

Rikku sank to the floor, resting her head against the cool stone.

It was disconcerting to be in the Macalania temple again, and not just because she had committed murder in it. The temple in her time was gone, lost at the bottom of the lake. Shiva and the fayth were all that kept Macalania alive.

She wanted to rush into the fayth chamber and beg Shiva to tell her what was going on, ask Shiva what she was supposed to do.

'What's the big idea?' She pleaded silently, in case the fayth could hear her.

"We had forgotten what it was like to feel love," answered a familiar voice. Bahamut. Rikku looked around to see if the others had noticed him, but the men were still lost in their own thoughts. Realising that the voice was in her head, she waited for it to continue. "Our dreams were occupied by death and destruction. Tidus allowed us to rest, but the Farplane became an unstable place. When you visited us, we were reminded of the Summoner Yuna. Your pure heart shines as brightly as hers. You love with all your being."

'But why am I here? What did you send me here to do?'

"With Braska's death, the cycle will continue. Jecht, the first dream to become flesh, will become Sin. Auron will bring Tidus to Spira and the second dream will become flesh. Spira will have hope, real hope, for the first time in 1000 years-- but Auron will be without hope, without love. So, Rikku, daughter of Cid, will you become his hope?"

***

'Am I alive?' She silently asked, unsure if she wanted to know the answer.

"You are not alive or dead, nor real or a dream. Those terms have no meaning. You walk the line between the past and the future, what has happened and what is to come. Live in the moment, listen to your heart, and the fayth will watch over you."

***

Long after Bahamut's voice had faded from her mind, Rikku and the others were still waiting for Braska to emerge.

"She must be giving Lord Braska a hard time," she commented.

"Huh? She who?" Jecht looked up the stairs. "Is there another chick like you in there or something?"

Rikku snorted. "I'm talking about the aeon. Shiva was a priestess before Yevon took her soul away. Her personality is like her temple, a bit cold."

"Sounds like my kind of woman!"

"Try it, Jecht," Rikku laughed. "You'd pee pure ice for a week."

"Could you two please refrain from committing blasphemy in a temple? Please." Rikku stuck her tongue out at him but Auron ignored the childish response. "Your summoner, Rikku, I take it she received the fayth of this temple?"

"Yep!" She scratched her cheek, not sure what she should say about it. "We had some... complications afterwards."

Auron raised an eyebrow but did not pry any further.

Hearing the Hymn faintly, Rikku looked up as Braska finally emerged from the chamber of the fayth. From his appearance, Shiva had definitely given him a rough time. Jecht gave him a hand down the stairs while Auron retrieved his jug. Braska took a few sips and handed it back. "I'm all right now."

"So, Braska, this Shiva chick, she hot?"

"Quite the opposite, actually," Braska laughed. "Shall we be going?"

"Are you sure you're ready, my Lord? You should rest here for a little while and regain your strength."

"I'd rather rest beside a warm fire, Auron."

Rikku giggled. "Like I told you guys, she's a cold one!"

***

It was dark by the time they reached their campsite once again. Rikku, exhausted from using magic on nearly every fiend they encountered on the way back, fell asleep before the fire had even been lit.

"Why couldn't we have stayed in that place back there?" Jecht poked the logs with his sword.

"We can't waste our money on agencies all the time or we won't have enough to purchase the important things, like potions and weapons." Auron nodded towards Rikku's tent. "A bed is a bed."

"Tomorrow we head south and cross the Thunder Plains." Braska took his large hat off and sat it on the ground next to him. "It will be difficult, so I plan to rest for a short time at the Travel Agency there."

"Wouldn't it be better to cross quickly, my Lord?"

"Perhaps," Braska conceded, yawning as he nodded his head. "The intensity of the storm will dictate our actions then. Now, I'm sorry but I think I'm going to turn in for the night."

"You should also rest well tonight, Jecht," Auron warned him. "The Plains are not to be taken lightly."

"Then I guess you're taking the first watch because I need my--" Jecht faked a yawn. "I need my beauty sleep."

***

"Rikku, wake up."

Wiping sleep from her eyes, Rikku blinked before realising that Braska stood at the foot of her tent. "Is it morning already?"

"Yes," Braska laughed. "Auron, Jecht, and I are going to go back to the Travel Agency and pick up a few supplies. I thought you could use the time to bathe yourself privately. You will be alright by yourself, won't you?"

"Totally. Go knock yourselves out, I'll be fine."

"We should be back shortly."

***

Rikku had just finished cleaning herself off and was pulling her boots back on when she heard them return. Auron stormed past her without a word while Jecht fiddled with a sphere. Braska smiled at her. "I take it you're ready."

She nodded but pointed to the path Auron had disappeared down. "What's wrong with him?"

Jecht waved the sphere he was holding. "Braska and me took some shots back there for our kids and he's got his panties in a wad about it. Thought it was a waste of time or some bull like that."

Rikku remembered that sphere, remembered the argument it captured. 'What's the hurry, man?' Jecht had asked, unaware that a pilgrimage was also a race. The first summoner to reach Zanarkand and die was the winner.

Braska sighed. "We should be going. Auron is right, we don't have the luxury of time."

* * *

_I made the decision to have Braska obtain Shiva immediately after Bahamut despite the fact that, using the Jecht Spheres as a guide, it's not canonically clear if he visited Macalania Temple at the beginning or the end of his journey. When Braska & his guardians return to Macalania on their way to Zanarkand, I hope that there will be enough going on to make up for this little canon tweak. ;)_


	7. Chapter 7

"Disasterrific," Rikku cursed.

"Is something wrong, Rikku?" Braska was concerned; the last few fiends the group had encountered leaving Macalania had been particularly strong. "Are you injured?"

"No--" The bright flash of a nearby lightning strike made her knees shake. It had been so much easier not being afraid of the Thunder Plains when the lightning rod towers had been properly calibrated (even though she and the girls had been roped into doing some of that work themselves). Stealing a quick glance at Auron, she fought against the fear that was beginning to rise up. She had camped here for a week by herself just to prove that she could handle it; she wasn't going to show him the same weakness again. "I'm fine. Can we just get going?"

Jecht slapped her on the back, chuckling, "I think Rikku here's afraid."

"I _used_ to be afraid," she admitted, "but this storm never stops. Let's just get this over with." She paused for a moment, before turning to Braska. "Lord Braska, would it be okay if I changed? This skirt's a little-- well, it'll be hard to dodge lightning bolts in it."

"Go ahead, Rikku," he nodded.

"It'll just take a sec," she mumbled, pulling out her Garment Grid. She took a few steps back, warning them, "It gets kinda hot." Activating the Grid, she felt the heat of the flames warm her body as the Thief dressphere took hold. After stretching her arms, she tucked the Grid back into a pocket and looked back up. Jecht was trying to get Auron's attention.

"Hey Auron," Jecht rubbed his forehead. "Do I still got eyebrows?"

Auron groaned and started walking into the Thunder Plains. Jecht turned back to Braska and Rikku, a big grin on his face. "Well, do I?"

Rikku skipped by him, trailing after Auron. "Yeah, but I think I caught your bandana on fire. Sorry 'bout that!"

***

Auron was waiting underneath one of the lightning rods, one that she was particularly familiar with. As she approached, she remembered the last time she and he had paused there and sighed... she really hated the Thunder Plains. Putting her thoughts of the past behind her, she bounced over to him. He nodded, acknowledging her presence. She leaned against the tower next to him and followed his eyes. Jecht and Braska were only a short distance away.

"You're not a very good guardian, you know," Rikku said, cocking her head towards him.

"Excuse me?"

"You keep storming off, leaving us behind." She pushed off the tower and stood in front of him. "Jecht pisses you off, I get that. Believe me, I get that. But we guard Braska better as a group. This guardian I knew once, he-- he said that to guard your summoner, you have to guard your emotions first." She poked his breastplate. "Chill out, 'kay?"

He grabbed her wrist but his gaze never left Braska. "I don't need a child to lecture me about my duty," he spat out angrily.

She wrenched her arm free but her reply was cut short as she heard the others approach. He pushed past her to join them and she mentally kicked herself for opening her big mouth.

***

Auron led the group through the Thunder Plains, the girl's words running through his head. He was angry that she had insulted him like that but, the more he thought about it, the more he wondered if she was right. He was emotional-- angry at Jecht for being a drunkard whose wild lie Braska had chosen to believe in, angry at her for being so outspoken and just so _Al Bhed_. He was even angry at Braska, though he was loathe to admit it. Braska was his best friend and he had wanted Auron by his side on his damned pilgrimage; Auron was leading him to his death and Braska was grateful for it.

A hand on his bare arm brought him out of his dark thoughts and he looked to see Braska beside him. "Yes, my Lord?"

Braska squeezed his arm before letting go. "You seem to have something on your mind."

"It is nothing, my Lord," Auron shook his head. Turning around, he noticed the two of them were alone. "Where are the others?"

"Rikku seems to have forgotten something a little ways back. I sent Jecht with her." He caught a glimpse of red and pointed. "There they are now." He waved to them.

Rikku waved back and poked Jecht in the side before running towards them. She thrust a small tube into Braska's hands. "I thought it might be there--" She paused to take a breath. "I'm glad I remembered it. A summoner can never have enough ether, right?" She then pulled something out of her shorts and waved it in Auron's direction. "And I thought that maybe you could use this," she said quietly, not really looking at him.

Auron took it from her grasp and looked it over. A light curtain was definitely something a warrior could find useful. "Where did you get this?"

"I stole it-- from a fiend, of course," she twirled on her right foot, checking to make sure Jecht was still behind her. "It was nothing me and Jecht couldn't handle, right?"

Jecht thumped his chest and laughed. "Right, kiddo." When Rikku turned her back to him, Auron saw him visibly slump. Jecht noticed him looking but waved off his concern.

***

As they approached the forked path, Rikku stayed behind the others. She was tired from hopping around avoiding lightning strikes and still a little sore from that battle with the Iron Giant but she didn't want Auron or the others to think that she was weak. She didn't want to be the one to say that they should stop at the Travel Agency, so she almost hollered for joy when it was Braska who made the suggestion.

She entered last, nervously looking around to see if she recognised anyone. The Al Bhed working the counter was an older woman she didn't recognise and Rin didn't seem to be there either. She sighed with relief and wandered away from the group to look around.

She tried to remember how long Rin had been in business and regretted her tendency to tune him out. She was trying to count the number of agencies she knew about when Auron dropped a key in her hand. "Your room key."

"Oh, thanks."

He nodded but said nothing and followed Braska and Jecht back to the room they had reserved for themselves.

***

Rikku snuck quietly out of her room, making sure the door didn't slam shut behind her. The noise outside made it a meaningless gesture, but Rikku tried not to focus on _that_. _That_ was what had kept her awake for hours & made it impossible for her to get any rest at all.

Padding gently down the hallway, she was surprised to find the lobby empty-- even the clerk was gone. She looked around and spotted an Al Bhed primer lying on one of the tables. Double-checking for witnesses, she pocketed it; Rikku wasn't sure how much Braska knew of the language.

"I saw that."

Rikku turned on her heels, caught in the act, but saw no one.

"Down here," Jecht slurred, waving from his position on the floor by the counter. "Thirsty?" he asked, offering her his bottle. As Rikku approached, she realised that it wasn't his first or even his second bottle. She counted four bottles of Spiran ale already empty and discarded.

"Oh, Jecht," she sighed as she sat down beside him. "How long have you been out here?"

Gulping down the last of the bottle, he tossed it aside with the others and then burped. "Since a few bottles ago. Couldn't sleep. I mean, shit-- we don't have nothing like this back in Zanarkand. A storm that won't stop, a forest made of glass, ugly monsters that freakin' explode. I'm not drunk enough for this world." He kicked one of the empty bottles, sending it flying under one of the tables. "I keep thinking I'll wake up, right? That I'll wake up and've imagined all of this crap."

"I know how you feel, Jecht."

"Thanks for saying so, kid, but I doubt it." He ruffled her hair. "I hope you never do."

She thought about telling him the truth but he had enough unbelievable things to believe in. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," Jecht shrugged. "Braska says he can get me home. My wife and kid are waitin' on me. I gotta be okay."

Hearing the desperation in Jecht's voice made Rikku's heart ache. She stood up quickly, needing something to take her mind off Tidus, Jecht, and what awaited them all in Zanarkand. "Hey, Jecht, did you pay for that stuff?"

"You're kidding, right?"

She had expected as much. Rikku wondered what the going rate for a bottle of ale was; the last time Barkeep restocked the bar, Brother had whined about it being 100G a bottle. Counting Jecht's empty bottles again, she looked in her pockets and was thankful to see that she had enough. She didn't want Braska getting the bill in the morning and it wouldn't have felt right stiffing Rin either. She counted out the 500G and stuck it under the counter.

"You buying the next round, kid?" Jecht said, seeing the money.

"No! No more rounds-- this is for what you've already drank. Besides, I don't drink." There had been that one time on the Celsius... Rikku shivered with disgust. Turning back to Jecht, she pulled his arm gently. "C'mon, let's get you in bed."

"That an offer?" Jecht leered. Realising her chest was directly in front of his face, she let go of his arm and crossed her arms over her top.

Jecht laughed, slapping his hand on his thigh. Rikku wasn't sure what was so funny. Her breasts were still no competition for Lulu's but they were perfectly Rikku-sized. Jecht pushed himself up off the ground and leaned against the counter. He smirked. "You're cute, Rikku. If I wasn't married, me and you'd be having a different talk right now. You're wasted on Auron."

"Wh-what?" Rikku felt the blush start at her toes and work its way up. Had she been that obvious?

Jecht shook his head, still laughing. He ruffled her hair again as he walked past her. "You better head to bed too."

***

Rikku trailed behind Auron, yawning into her hand as they left the Travel Agency. She was awake enough to jump when the lightning got too close but she paid no attention to the men as they talked.

Looking up, she barely had time to sidestep before running into Auron. He had stopped and was fiddling with a sphere; she looked back and saw that he was trying to get Braska and Jecht in frame. Braska must have tired of waiting; he walked over to her and gave her a cheerful smile.

"Hey, hold it steady!"

"Why am I doing this?" Auron moaned. Rikku bit her lip to keep from laughing but moved beside him to help.

"Oh, Auron! You've just turned it off!" Rikku pointed to the power switch. "All you've got to do is press that & point the sphere at whatever you're filming. This one time my pops got the thing backwards and, yeah, what a waste of a sphere that was!"

"I know how to operate a sphere, Rikku." She waited until he started filming again before sticking her tongue out at him. Watching him film Braska, she realised that he had forgotten about Jecht. She nudged him just as Jecht started to holler at him.

"You're gonna spoil it!"

Rikku watched in horror as Jecht, too distracted by Auron to be paying attention, got hit directly by a lightning bolt. She followed Braska over to him, relieved that Jecht seemed to be all right. She didn't even pay attention to the rest of Jecht and Auron's conversation. She could smell the faint trace of burnt flesh in the air and it creeped her out. As Braska laughed at something Rikku was unaware of, she tugged at his sleeve. "Can we get going, Lord Braska? Please."

Seeing the fear in her eyes, Braska nodded. "Yes, it's time we should be going, especially if we hope to reach Guadosalam by dark."

... Of course, their next destination was Guadosalam. On second thought, Rikku decided, she really wasn't in _that_ much of a hurry to leave the Thunder Plains after all.


	8. Chapter 8

A Guado man was waiting for them at the entrance. He bowed deeply, his long arms making the standard Yevon greeting look awkward and a little grotesque. "Lord Braska, it is an honour. Lord Jyscal sent word that you would be passing through, but we did not expect you so soon. Welcome to Guadosalam."

_We've been expecting you, Lady Yuna. Welcome to Guadosalam._

Recognising the man's voice, Rikku looked him over. The years would not be kind to him, but she saw hints of the man Tromell was on his way to becoming. Two years ago she might have struck him down where he stood, her anger at Seymour and the Guado still fresh, the pain of losing Home too great, but time had formed a scab over the wound. She listened to him as he continued, "I am in the direct service of Lord Jyscal. On his behalf, Guadosalam welcomes my Lord and his guardians."

"Your hospitality is appreciated," Braska said, returning the prayer to Yevon. "I regret that my guardians and I will only be resting here for a night. We plan to leave for the Moonflow in the morning."

"How unfortunate," Tromell sighed. "I will arrange lodging for the three of you in our inn."

"Hey!" Jecht laughed. "Don't go forgetting Rikku here."

"I beg your pardon? The young lady, she is with you?" As Tromell watched the group make their way through the Thunder Plains, he had assumed the summoner's party had taken the young lady in to make the crossing more tolerable for them all. The Thunder Plains had a way of turning strangers in Macalania into comrades by the time they reached Guadosalam.

"She is one of my guardians, yes."

"My apologies, miss," the Guado said, bowing slightly. The Maester had been correct, Summoner Braska was certainly travelling with a strange group. Turning back to Braska, he spoke, "Feel free to explore our city before nightfall, my Lord. You can restock your supplies at our shop, located on the next level, or perhaps-- will you be visiting the Farplane while you are here?"

Rikku stared at the back of Braska's head, mentally pleading with him to say no. She'd had quite enough of the Farplane for a lifetime, thank you very much. She groaned inwardly when he nodded his head.

"This way, please." Tromell swept an arm low to the ground, taking them into the city.

***

As they followed Tromell's lead past the manor, Rikku saw another familiar face-- or, at least, a recognisable portion of it. Those blue veins had been etched in her nightmares for years. She felt the scab beginning to peel back.

_The Guado take care of Guado affairs_.

She hurried her pace, falling into step beside Auron.

***

Tromell left them at the entrance to the Farplane. Rikku, numb with the reality of being back in the hallowed space, walked behind the others as they climbed the steps. She heard Braska explaining to Jecht what the Farplane actually was and might have spoken up, giving Jecht the same spiel about it she had once given Tidus, if Auron hadn't gripped her arm tightly, drawing her attention.

"You should stay here."

"Huh? Why?" Glancing up, she realised that they had reached the top of the staircase. The Farplane rippled before them. "Oh, we're here."

"Auron's right, Rikku. You should wait for us out here." Braska sighed, gazing into the abyss. "Yevon knows what might happen if you enter."

... _because you're an Unsent._

Rikku growled. Jerking her arm free from Auron's grip, she stomped right up to the shimmering blue wall. "I'm going to prove to you that I'm not what you think I am!"

The fayth wouldn't let her disappear... right?

***

She was waiting for them when they emerged onto the platform, hands on her hips, a triumphant grin on her face. "Still here, guys!"

Jecht grabbed her in a headlock, messing up her hair. "Gave us a scare back there, kid! I thought Braska was gonna faint!"

"I was concerned," Braska nodded. "I'm glad you're still with us."

"I'm not gonna just up and disappear, you know!" Rikku pulled her head free and ran a hand through her hair, trying to straighten it up.

Auron stared at her face. "Rikku, your nose-- it's gone."

"_Fyrd_!?" Rikku slapped a hand over the spot where she last remembered her nose being and was rewarded with a shot of pain. She pushed on the fleshy tip. "Don't scare me like that, Auron! Wait-- Wait! Was that a joke? I mean, it was a joke at my expense but it was a joke! Aww, I'm so proud."

Auron rubbed at his temple. Rikku had to be the oddest person he had ever met, even considering Jecht. He then nodded to Braska. "I will stand guard while you pay your respects, Lord Braska."

***

Rikku watched as Braska stood quietly at the edge. She rubbed at tears that threatened to spill from her eyes as she saw her aunt materialise. It had been so long since she had seen that kind face.

***

Rikku stood near the edge of the platform and tried desperately not to think of anyone. She knew that glimpsing those most precious to her would only cause a problem-- her mother was already dead, she would come if she thought hard enough. Would Keyakku? Would Tidus? She gasped, looking across the platform at where Jecht stood. Tidus had talked once about seeing his mother here but what if-- she knew coming here had been a bad idea.

'Do not worry.'

Out of the corner of her eye, Rikku realised that a figure had materialised unbidden. It was someone unfamiliar. Remembering the incident at the temple in Macalania, she spoke with her mind. 'Did you say that?'

The figure was of a pretty woman, probably about Braska's age, and her face remained still as she answered. 'Yes. Do not worry about the man; the dreamers still dream of his family. They will not come to him this day.'

'That's good,' Rikku sighed, relieved. 'So, um, who are you?'

'You do not remember me?'

Scratching her cheek, she shrugged. 'Um, sorry?'

'It is not important. Child of the Fayth, you must leave Guadosalam unchanged. What is to happen must be allowed to happen. This is not what the dreamers sent you here to do. The only life you may change is the young monk's; do otherwise and the future will unravel in an instant. Take heed of my warning; I was awoken from my slumber to deliver it.'

The figure faded away as Rikku heard someone step onto the platform.

***

"Pardon me," the boy spoke, walking up to Auron as he stood in the middle of the platform. "You are one of Summoner Braska's guardians, correct?"

"I am." There was something about the boy's appearance that unsettled Auron. "Can I help you?"

"Tromell informed me of the summoner's visit and I wanted to meet him. I am an apprentice summoner."

"And this couldn't have waited until we returned?"

"It's all right, Auron," Braska assured him, moving away from the Farplane mist. "I was lingering too long as it was. I am Braska, a summoner from Bevelle."

"I am Seymour Guado. I have only just returned to Guadosalam to begin my training, yet I think there will be no rush. My father has spoken highly of you, Lord Braska."

***

Rikku kept an anxious eye on Braska and Auron as they talked with Seymour and was relieved when Auron called to her. "We're going."

She smiled broadly and ran to the stairs. "Last one to the bottom is a rotten shoopuf!"

***

Seymour watched Braska and his guardians make the descent back to Guadosalam before calmly walking over to where the young girl had been standing earlier. He ran a hand over the spot where he had briefly glimpsed his mother's face.

***

She missed Yuna and Lulu suddenly and deeply; missed falling asleep to Yuna's soft snoring, missed hearing Lulu sing the Hymn like it was a gentle lullaby.

The Guado had given them two rooms; the guys were probably already asleep in the room they shared down the hall. Alone in her room, Rikku stared up at the ceiling, counting the roots. It was not the fiends outside Guadosalam that kept her awake but the walking nightmare she knew lurked somewhere within the city's walls.

She had to sleep.

Grabbing her blankets, she crept slowly out of her room and down the hallway. She stopped in front of the others' room and used one of her hairpins to unlock the door. Opening it slightly, she made sure they were all asleep. Braska was on the bed to the right, Jecht was lying on the floor, and Auron was stretched out on the bed to the left. None of them had stirred when the door opened. She tiptoed into the room, quietly locking the door behind her.

She stood at the end of Auron's bed and watched him for a few seconds, making sure he was truly asleep. Confident he was, she gently laid down at the end of the mattress. She panicked as he started to move but calmed down as he changed position and began to snore into his pillow.

Curling her blankets around herself, she fell asleep to the sound.

***

Auron was staring in disbelief at the end of his bed when Braska came in from the bathroom. "Auron?"

"Yes, my Lord?" Auron replied dully, not looking away from the pile of blankets.

"Are your blankets really that interesting?"

"Those aren't my blankets. What's more," he nudged the pile with his foot. A small whimper could be heard from somewhere underneath. "She was using my foot as a pillow."

"Who's using you as a pillow?" Jecht yawned, sitting up from his makeshift bed on the floor. "What's goin' on?"

Braska peeled back a blanket, uncovering Rikku's face. He patted her head gently. "Rikku, you need to wake up."

Rikku swatted his hand away. "Just a few more minutes, Paine," she mumbled.

"She'll feel pain in a minute," Auron swore under his breath.

***

Rikku slowed down, walking in step with Braska and Auron as they exited Guadosalam. After a few moments of silence, she tugged on his sleeve. "Auron?"

"Yes?" He kept his eyes on the road ahead.

"I'm really sorry if I bothered you. I just couldn't get to sleep last night and-- well, I feel safe when I'm by your side, you know?" Her hands were playing with the fringe on her scarf. "I should have asked, I guess."

The angry remarks Auron had been formulating all morning died on his tongue. Could he really begrudge her the feeling of safety? Looking at her face, he realised that, for the first time since they had left Macalania, there were no dark bruises above her cheeks, no sleepy haze to her maddening eyes. "You should have asked," he agreed. "I could have mistaken you for an intruder and turned my sword on you. Ask permission next time."

_Next time?_

Rikku's face lit up and she ran forward, a new bounce to her step. Next time! She had almost caught up to Jecht when she stopped suddenly. She fingered a small bundle in one of her pockets. Sighing, she rushed back to Auron and Braska. She held the bundle out in front of Auron. "Here."

"What's this?" The bundle seemed suspiciously familiar. "Rikku--"

"Yeah, yeah. It's the 1000G you keep in your sock," she shrugged, a clever smile on her face. "What? At least I gave it back!"

"You shouldn't have taken it in the first place, Rikku," Braska said, a wink giving his jovial mood away.

Rikku noticed that Auron was moving to unsheath his sword. The big meanie. She turned and ran to Jecht, spinning him around. "Jecht, help me," she pleaded. He just snickered and turned back around. "You're on your own, kid."

"Oh, poopie."

"Rikku, come back here." Auron's nostrils flared when she threw herself in front of Jecht instead, leaning around him to stick her tongue out.

"What'cha gonna do, Auron? Spank me?" There was a hint of something dangerous, something uncouth in her voice, though the girl herself seemed unaware of its implication.

Rikku was too far ahead to notice but Braska heard the sharp intake of breath beside him then saw Auron gulp for air. Her teasing had struck a nerve. Auron recovered in an instant, his face once again taking on its normal unreadable expression.

Perhaps obscurity suited Auron, Braska thought. A warrior monk, life pledged to Yevon from youth, rarely experienced such a simple thing as pure unguarded emotion. Love was a commodity to Yevon, not intended to be given away but rather bartered for personal gain or political maneuvering. Auron had cast that aside and Braska had once feared he had cast his heart away as well. But Rikku was finding cracks in the armour Auron had forged around himself, with her sly glances and innocent teasing; Auron was weakening, the ground underneath him shifting, the steady path he walked becoming unstable. It was too early, too soon for Braska to call it love, for either of them, but Rikku and Auron seemed to be stumbling towards something he hoped they would find before the pilgrimage's end.  


* * *

[A/N; Another slight canon tweak: Seymour's return to Guadosalam took place after Braska's Calm, but I sped it up a little. In the grand scheme of things, it won't matter too much. I'm just having a bit of fun with canon. :D]


End file.
